Treatment guidance for prostate cancer patients is not optimal because current clinical tests do not clearly differentiate between slow-growing and aggressive forms. An EU-funded project is addressing this by studying the underlying molecular mechanisms of the disease to enable personalised and effective treatment.
An EU-funded project is developing innovative ways to mimic the micro-environment that cancer cells encounter inside the human body. The creation of artificial 3D tumour models could pave the way for more accurate testing of cancer drugs and ultimately lead to better treatments.
EU-funded researchers have discovered an important new mechanism by which cells flag and repair damage to their DNA - an unexpected finding that could improve the treatment of diseases such as cancer.
Finnish firm Mobidiag has received a EUR 25-million European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to accelerate development and commercialisation of its fast, life-saving tests for small laboratories. The support, provided under the European Fund for Strategic Investments, adds to a previous EUR 15 million EIB loan extended under the InnovFin Infectious Diseases Finance Facility under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme.
Multiple myeloma is a rare and incurable type of cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow called plasma cells. An EU-funded project is using revolutionary cell technology to tackle multiple myeloma, developing a viable and commercially attractive treatment for it and other rare diseases.
EU-funded researchers have conducted the first successful trials of an innovative gene therapy to treat a rare and debilitating metabolic disorder, using a small and innocuous virus as a carrier for genetic information to correct the functioning of liver and muscle cells.
Peptidomimetics are small molecules that mimic short natural proteins - peptides - and produce the same effects as their natural counterparts. An EU-funded project is developing peptidomimetics that can alternate between biologically active and inactive forms when exposed to light. The technique could lead to new light-controlled drugs which can be turned off and on when needed to treat cancers and other diseases.
EU-funded researchers are developing pioneering tools and techniques that will enable scientists to view chromosomes in unprecedented detail, greatly advancing research into life-saving treatments for cancer and cures for many genetic disorders.
With the support of Russia's Almazov Medical Research Centre, the EU-funded SyStemAge project studied the molecular mechanisms of ageing in adult stem cells, the results of which indicate that the intervention of metabolic pathways could correct age-related alterations and diseases.
International mobility fosters scientific exchange, a key element in advances in all areas of the life sciences. An EU-funded project supports this by awarding bursaries to postdoctoral scientists for research and training abroad - boosting Europe's capacity to make groundbreaking advances in medical research.
